Editor's letter

Welcome to the latest issue of Offshore Technology Focus.

As 2025 draws to a close, we look back at a year defined by volatility and ahead to a picture of unpredictability. Globally, geopolitical turbulence has kept oil and gas producers on their toes, but nowhere has the oil and gas sector seen more rapid or drastic change than in the US.

In this issue, we look at the implications of America’s declining rig activity, as the Trump administration continues its efforts to boost production. We draw on API’s expertise to consider the politicisation of US energy independence, before considering the challenges and opportunities presented by Europe’s supply chain reconfigurations.

Technology has also made its mark across 2025. We speak to a senior manager at Equinor to hear how the company is using robotics to ease the sector’s most enduring headache: remoteness.

Finally, we ask what might be next for decommissioned rigs: carbon capture, fish farms or rocket launch pads?

Eve Thomas, Editor